Tennys Sandgren has taken aim at Australian officials in the wake of the Novak Djokovic saga

Outspoken tennis anti-vaxxer Tennys Sandgren has launched a scathing attack on Tennis Australia, accusing them of changing the rules as they go.

Former Australian Open quarter-finalist Tennys Sandgren has accused Tennis Australia officials of either lying to players for two years to ensure they would travel to the grand slam or says they were manipulated by the Australian government’s ever-changing covid protocols.

Sandgren, who will skip this year’s edition of the tournament because he is unvaccinated and knew he would not meet any exemption criteria, has been vocal about the Djokovic debacle since the world No 1 arrived in Australia.

In recent days, the American has criticised the Australian immigration system and political set up while reiterating the fact Djokovic was handed an exemption and had broken no rules.

Djokovic remains in a detention hotel ahead of a court hearing on Monday and amid the domestic blame game, Sandgren believes it is pretty clear cut.

Tennys Sandgren has taken aim at Australian officials. Picture: Michael Klein

“Craig Tiley is the figure head,” he told the Herald Sun. “He either keeps getting supremely f****d by the Federal government and he’s shooting us straight, or he manipulates the situation to ease the players’ fears so they come.

“Djokovic received an exemption. He broke no rules.

“The fault lies with TA, Victorian government and the Federal government. If he wasn’t eligible to come they should’ve declined his medical exemption from the beginning.”

Sandgren speaks from experience having been forced into 14 days of hard quarantine after arriving for the 2021 Aus Open.

Minutes before he boarded his charter flight 12 months ago, Sandgren tweeted he had tested positive but would travel regardless. The enforced quarantine was due to another passenger contracting the virus.

Sandgren has accused Tiley of manipulation. Picture: Getty Images

He says the rules are being changed to meet the organiser’s interests.

“How can a player trust what TA tells them? They change the rules as they go,” he continued.

“Last year they only filled the charter flights to something like 25 per cent capacity. We were told this was so if someone tested positive upon arrival only a small section would be deemed close contacts.

“That was not the case and 3 entire planes were deemed close contact. They didn’t fill planes so they wouldn’t lose 300 players a plane.

“Either they lied or the government lied when they gave approval of the stipulations

Now this year with the medical exemption process. Seems there was a complete breakdown in miscommunication between TA and the Victorian government, and the Federal government.

“TA said if the two medical boards approved your exemption you would be granted a visa. That was most definitely a lie, again from either TA or the federal government.”